Amidst the bamboo grove, Guo Yuan gazed at Xiao Yan, whose face carried a touch of embarrassment, and then at the serene bamboo pavilion, only to sigh. Though he was Xu'er's father, he had never before seen her so intimately close to a man. "Xiao Xuan, have you met him already?" Guo Yuan stepped forward under the moonlight, his voice calm and gentle. Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback, hesitating a moment before saying, "Ah, I've seen it..." "I sensed the bloodline energy within you. That must be the most precious of the Xiao clan's bloodlines." Gu Yuan pursed his lips and sighed, "Xiao Xuan achieving this is no small feat. To preserve the last spark of the Xiao clan, he willingly transformed himself into such a state." Xiao Yan remained silent, naturally understanding that the tomb itself was essentially a vast prison, and the energy-bodied members like Xiao Xuan were its prisoners. Though they had survived in a different manner, they had to endure endless solitude. "Senior Gu, is there no way to free them?" Xiao Yan asked, his voice somewhat subdued. "Even I don't possess such capability. It's said the Heavenly Tomb was established by a powerful Battle Emperor long ago. To break its rules and free Xiao Xuan, one might need to reach that very level." "Gu Yuan shook his head. When mentioning the title of "Battle Emperor," Xiao Yan clearly sensed a deep complexity in his expression. For these ancient races, this realm felt like an immense burden resting upon their very souls, driving every member of their clans to dedicate their entire lives in pursuit of it. "Battle Emperor..." Xiao Yan smiled faintly, a bit sadly. This near-mythical figure seemed so elusive and intangible. Even before him—Gu Yuan, nearly embodying one of the true peaks of the Battle Qi Continent—could only feel profound reverence at the mere mention of those two words. "Is there truly a Battle Emperor existing in this world?" Upon hearing Xiao Yan's question, Gu Yuan fell silent. After a while, he murmured softly, "Who knows? Once they reach that level, they become like deities, looking down upon this continent from above. To them, every individual would merely be a mere insect." "They?" Xiao Yan's eyes slightly narrowed, yet he didn't know exactly what Gu Yuan meant by his words—was "they" a mere figment of imagination, or did they truly refer to something tangible? As Xiao Yan pondered, Gu Yuan raised his hand and said, "Tomorrow you will be departing. Be careful, then. With your current strength, the elders of the Gu Clan should not find it too difficult to deal with you. As for Xun, she will be unable to leave the Gu Realm for some time due to matters involving the Ling Clan." Xiao Yan nodded and asked, "Gu Yuan elder, do you believe this upheaval in the Ling Realm was caused by human intervention or by natural disaster?" Upon hearing Xiao Yan's question, Gu Yuan's brows furrowed slightly. "We still aren't entirely certain. I believe they must have encountered tremendous difficulties. However, human intervention seems unlikely—after all, the Ling Clan possesses strength sufficient to rank among the continent's top powers. It would be extremely difficult, even for the Gu Clan, to push them to this point." "What if it's the Huo clan?" Xiao Yan said slowly. When they were at the Heavenly Tomb, Xiao Xuan had once mentioned that the Huo clan was exceptionally mysterious—despite decades of rivalry between the Xiao and Huo clans, they still hadn't achieved a complete understanding of this enigmatic race. "Well, these matters shouldn't concern you much. Once investigated, everything will inevitably come to light..." Gu Yuan waved his hand, his gaze drifting toward the quiet bamboo pavilion, speaking with a slightly weary, gentle tone. "And don't forget the promises you made to me—Xun'er's lineage is of great importance to the ancient clan. Should anything go wrong, even if I don't take direct action, the elders will surely be furious." At this, Xiao Yan felt a bit embarrassed and nodded with a wry smile. "Alright, it's not too late now. You should rest early—tomorrow morning, you'll need to be on your way." Seeing this, Gu Yuan finally gave a slight nod, his form gradually fading until he completely vanished. Staring at the place where Gu Yuan had vanished, Xiao Yan sighed in resignation, pursing his lips with a sense of lingering dissatisfaction... Appearing in the air, Xiao Yan swept his gaze around and spotted many familiar figures. Lin Quan, Lin Xiu, and other outstanding young talents from the ancient clans were all present. However, upon seeing him, these latter few seemed noticeably hesitant and even fearful. Now that Xiao Yan's strength had surged to the peak of eight-star level, they had clearly realized that they no longer held any room for arrogance in his presence. After all, when Xiao Yan was still at five-star Duke level, he had already defeated ancient beasts rated at eight-star level—how much more impressive now that his strength had grown so significantly? Among the young talents of the ancient clans, only perhaps Xun'er and Gu Qingyang could now stand a match against him. As Xiao Yan's gaze swept across, he noticed a steady gaze fixed upon him. His eyes shifted slightly, finally settling on a distant mountain peak where a figure stood tall, wind brushing through his black and white hair—clearly the ancient beast he had defeated six months prior. Their gazes met in the air, yet surprisingly, no intense火花 erupted. The ancient beast maintained a composed expression and slowly nodded toward Xiao Yan. Moreover, although this ancient spirit held affection for Xun'er, he was also someone who could rise to the occasion and let go when needed—such a character indeed proved dignified. "Ah-ah!" As more and more people gathered at this location, the warships soaring in the sky began to sound their mournful horns, clearly signaling that it was time to begin transporting them out of the ancient realm. "Xiao Yan..." Just as Xiao Yan intended to share some parting words with Xun'er, a figure suddenly materialized in the air. Upon glancing at him, Xiao Yan recognized him as Yao Xingji, the prodigy of the Medicinal Clan. His brow furrowed slightly, and he said with a composed tone, "Is there something?" Xiao Yan had never particularly warmed to Yao Xingji, and thus, he treated him with no more courtesy than he did the others. Regarding Xiao Yan's composed demeanor, Yao Xingji gave a slight scoff, feeling a bit displeased, yet due to Xiao Yan's current strength, he refrained from offering any sharp remarks. With a flick of his fingers, a jade scroll shimmering like emerald soared toward Xiao Yan. "This is the official invitation from the Medicinal Clan. Don't worry about frowning just yet—your teacher will find it useful. He understands what the Clan's ancestral records signify. Whether or not he harbors resentment toward the Medicinal Clan, believe me—he will come." As the star of medicine, Yixi, departed, Xiao Yan also fell into deep thought. Regardless of what this so-called medicine lineage codex might be, he would first deliver the message to his teacher. As for whether or not to go himself, that would depend entirely on the teacher's wish. "Xun'er, it's time. I should be going now..." Turning slightly, Xiao Yan looked at Xun'er by his side and spoke softly. "Take care..." Xun'er smiled gently. Xiao Yan nodded in reply, neither lingering nor hesitating. With a simple gesture, he turned abruptly, his figure transforming into a streak of light, gracefully ascending onto a warship and vanishing from everyone's sight. Watching Xiao Yan's retreating silhouette, Xun'er sighed softly, feeling a sense of melancholy. "Ahhh..." With more and more people boarding the warships, the mournful sound of the horns rose once again. The clouds rolled tumultuously, and the ships trembled gently before gradually transforming into dense masses of dark clouds, surging with tremendous force, and swiftly rushing toward the exit of the ancient realm.